After months and months in development LinkedIn finally launched their new application functionality yesterday. In the conversations I had with them they were always very clear that they wanted this new functionality to stay focus on professional connection, productivity and have all of it stay true to their site. It is still in Beta which leaves me with some hope because this first pass is nothing but repurposed functionality from other sites like Google, Amazon, Wordpress and SixApart. Right now this just feels too bolted on and like a less than innovative attempt to try and grow the site for me but I have hope that the platform will let them do more with it in the future.

Labels: Design and user experience, Digital culture

Your ability to understand your creative process, your ability to observe how you have ideas and then be able to recreate it is an absolutely essential and extremely overlooked part of our business. I never had a class in college that covered it and I never had a creative director who talked about it so I wanted to spend some time on it here.

I don't think is talked about much because the creative process and it's triggers are different for everyone. This is because the act of creation is extremely personal and the influences and triggers are unique to each person, their life experience and their interests. All of those different combinations are the foundation for why there can be infinite solutions to any given creative problem. I have found through my lectures and portfolio reviews that to many designers are trying to find one universal way of thinking that will bring them success and think this is the completely wrong way to approach the problem. In my experience it is the search for that homogeneity that weakens your work because you aren't embracing what is unique about you and how you work. When you are able to figure out what the process is that brings you good ideas then you are able to do it more often and your ideas come faster and get better. Since it is different for everyone I thought I would lead by example and go over how I work and the things I do that help me come up with ideas. I will follow that up with an entry on some of the tricks I have found that may help you.

My process is pretty evenly split between outlining the rational elements that make up a creative strategy and collecting a wide variety of visual inspirations that I use to create a visual brief. It is a very distinct right brain / left brain way of working and I get the best results when I work up each side so I can soak my head in all aspects of the problem and then let them bleed into each other and capture all of the ideas and conceptual connects that I start to see. It generates a lot of partial and complete concepts but I capture all of them because I don't know where they will take me or where I might find a connection. After I capture them all it is about editing them down and then starting the process over but now in a more refined and focused state. I do this over and over again because with each pass the concepts get tighter but at the same time it keeps me loose enough that I don't close myself off to new or altered directions. I have found working this way helps me create the best product possible as I am sure that any concept or design meets the business goals and that the business goals marry with the visuals. This also keeps me open because I know that I don't always get the big idea right off the bat and sometime I have to grind it out to get to the end product. It also makes sure that the big idea that came to me in a rush is really as good as I think it is.

Once I tuned into this process I started setting up my office to help make ideas happen. I take two different walls of my office and put a write board on one of them where I can write out the rationale elements like the business needs or creative strategy and then I hang metal strips on the other wall so I can put up visuals like my sketches, tear sheets, photos, comps etc. to help me tune in on the visual design. I found the the physical act of writing out the challenge and hanging the sketches forces me to really focus on each aspect and give it the attention it really needs. When I did it in a sketch book or read the creative brief I would skim not really paying attention because my mind was already wandering around on the problem. It was the addition of the physical act of getting up away from my computer that forced me to focus and that change made a huge difference in the quality and depth of my ideas.

This is just works for me and it may or may not work for you but the key take away is that you have to start watching yourself to see what creates that creative spark. It is also about giving yourself permission to make A LOT of mistakes and using those mistakes to see what you did that worked and what didn't.

After seeing decreases in sales between 2% and 5% in different beverage categories Pepsi has decided to put their branding through the washing machine. These images are some of the leaked imagery of the before and after logos, how those break out across the portfolio and what some of the new packaging will look like. This is the latest in a recent parade of brands that seems to think that their slumping sales will be fixed by shaking up their branding. Only time will tell if this strategy will work but this feels like they are fixing the front door to stop the leaks in the roof.

Labels: Branding

Levi's is one of those brand that I am just not sure how to feel about anymore. On the one hand they recently launched their commercial called "Onion Peel" that is a very artsy, monochromatic spot that celebrates the "average woman" who is comfortable with herself and her Levi's jeans. This expresses a sophisticated and more upscale brand that is in touch with their customers. They then followed this up with a sophomoric humor level, EVB-produced viral campaign that urges men to “Unbutton your beast”. Unbutton your beast site let's you choose from one of nine different beasts who can say a pre-recorded message or you can create your own.

So the struggle I have is trying to evaluate this strategy on if it is really smart or really dumb. The smart side can be argued by them creating two different campaigns that are tailored to their different targets to get the most attention from each. The argument for the dumb side is more personal for me because as a man when I look at the two campaigns it bothers me that they think women are motivated by a sophisticated and empowering campaign and men are motivated by their crotch. This is one of those issues that I would love to hear from you on and how you successful or flawed this approach is for their brand.

Labels: Consumer generated content, Design and user experience, Digital culture, Site re-launch

The agency Bigman from Sao Paulo Brazil launched a new site that is true to their name not too long ago. The site is one big man who looks like he escaped from a men's room sign and stretches down the length of the page and is covered in all of the site content and about half of the navigation. A slider in the upper right hand side lets you zoom in and out of the figure so you can explore it. i like it because the interface and content is manifested in an interesting way that creates an engaging experience and makes you remember the name of the agency. What else is an agency site supposed to do?

Labels: Design and user experience, Exceptional experiences, Site review, Unique interface design

Tonight Apple started running their latest commercial to answer Microsoft and Crispin's new "I'm a PC" campaign and I think it is really good and keeps the focus on the issues the Microsoft ads went away from.

I have been working on some iPhone application designs lately and stumbled across how to take a screenshot of your iPhone screen. This is really helpful for comping the home screen or capturing application prototype layouts that were produced in the application development software.

1 - Navigate to the content you want to capture
2 - Press the round power button (front) and thin power button (top) together for 1 second
3 - Release them and your screen will flash white with a camera sound
4 - The image will be available in your photos application and can be imported through iPhoto though the thumbnail may not always appear in the preview window.

Labels: Great resource

I found another interesting experiment today that looks at an aspect of creativity through mass opinion. This one is called Cymbolism and takes the angel that color is the ultimate tool a designer has at their disposal to communicate feeling and mood. This site attempts to quantify the association between colors and words and become a resource for designers to choose the best colors for the desired emotional effect. You can either go through the list of words and give your answers on what color goes with what word or you can browse the results. It is an interesting experiment and could be useful if you have clients with loose enough brand standards to let you use a new color to set the mood.

Labels: Great resource, Site review

In my continued interest around how the presidential candidates are using digital media I saw an article today that Barack Obama has started running in-game advertising for the Xbox 360 version of the driving game Burnout Paradise. The ads appear on billboards and signs in the game and have messaging about early voting now being open with the candidates Web site URL. The obvious question is if this type of media buy really targets voters who are undecided or are even planning on voting.

Labels: Guerilla advertising

With Halloween right around the corner, Doritos has launched a new horror-themed campaign called Hotel 626 to promote the re-launch of the Taco and Four Cheese flavored chips. The first thing you will find out is that the site is only live from 6pm to 6am EST. This decision to limit access to the site to only nighttime is an interesting one not only to create atmosphere and I can't remember another site that has done something like this. I did play a hunch and found a cheat because it appears that the site reads the clock on your computer so if you change it be in the right hour range you can access the site during the day.

The experience begins in a first person view with you waking up in your hotel room hearing strange sounds coming from the hall way. From there it grows into an experience that reminded me of playing Silent Hill as you explore 13 different rooms and I recommend you have your webcam and microphone turned on to get the most out of it and to help you get past some of the challenges. I am not going to give away too many details or surprises but in order to get out of the hotel you have to complete tasks like chasing ghosts and listening to a mad man so you can get out of a locked room (hint: count the red items).

So without going into too much detail for those who haven't had the experience I will only say that this is a compelling experience that draws you into it but does it make you want to buy Doritos?

Labels: Design and user experience, Digital culture, Exceptional creative, Exceptional experiences, Exceptional Flash, Site review, Unique interface design, Viral

Maybe technology may be able to save us from ourselves after all. Google has put a new feature called "Mail Goggles" into testing for their Gmail email service. The functionality kicks in at night to keep you from drunk emailing regrettable emails to your friends, ex-girlfriends or that guy who pisses you off at work. So if you go to your email at night with the feature turn on you have to be able to sole a few easy math problems before the site will let the "Send" button work. If it is something you want to try out Goggles go to your Gmail account, click the "Settings" link at the top of the page and then go to the "Labs" section.

Labels: Design and user experience, Digital culture, Unique interface design

I was just asked by the people over at the WebAwards to review both candidates Web sites and this is not an endorsement but I have been really impressed with just how well Barac Obama's campaign has embraced and used digital media in this years presidential campaign. I have written before about how I was impressed with their Web site that is very well designed, they have embraced and used social media in really intelligent ways and today I saw they had launched a really smart and very well done iPhone app. I think it is smart because you are giving people a way to connect to the campaign in their own time and on the most personal technology they own. Some of the most interesting and well thought out features of the app include -

Call a Friend:
This feature was designed to let you call friends to promote the campaign but the smart twist it is organized with your friends in the key battle ground states listed first. Each friend has a status so you can see if you have called them through the app or not. There is also a Call Stats page where you can how many calls you have made, how many calls have been nationwide, how many calls have been placed by the top caller and how many active callers are using the app. I think this again is really smart because it connects you to the larger but potentially disconnected group so you feel like really are part of a movement.

Get Involved:
This pulls your current GS position to show you the nearest Obama office.

Everything Else:
The rest of the features are what you would expect but they do a really good job of using nearly all of the iPhone available features. Receive Updates lets you sign up for news and announcements but you can choose either text messages or email. News pulls down national and local campaign news and Local Events lets you find local events, share by email and get maps and directions which feeds into the Maps application. Media lets you browse videos and photos through the corresponding interfaces. The app is rounded out in the bottom bar with a countdown to election day and small but noticeable donate button. The button triggers a call to their donation hot line which was a bit unexpected as I was thinking it would open an online form.

It will be interesting to see if the intelligent use of digital does make a real difference in the final outcome and I am going to watch the numbers in the Call Stats to see how they grow as time winds down.

Labels: Design and user experience, Digital culture, Exceptional experiences, iPhone

I wanted to say thank you to the good folks over at CoolHomePages.com for picking my new portfolio site as one of six sites that got their Site of the Week award with the write up of "Stephen Gates' online portfolio is a great example of how clean design, flash, and animation can all work together to create one phenomenal homepage.".

Labels: Shameless self promotion

Philips has just launched their third attempt to recapture the magic they found in the brilliant and original ShaveEverywhere.com site from two and a half years ago. Their last attempt from January of this year called Second Puberty was a humorless attempt that felt like it was an homage to one of Saturday Night Live's Robert Smigel cartoons. This new site brings forth the concept of "Manalogues," which leaves behind the catroon stylings of the last version in favor of putting comedian and Mad TV alum Bryan Callen in the staring role. He performs as Frenchman, a Russian, a Brit and two Americans who offer up different tales about the shame of hairiness and how they overcame it using the Bodygroom. On paper it sounds like it could be a funny idea with a comedian like this but it is done with the level of humor and uncomfortable delivery you would expect to find at 2 in the morning on a public access channel. It's clear I am not alone in this feeling when you look at the rating system they have created for the site where pressing the space bar lets you clap during and after each performance. The results are displayed in real time down the right edge of the video with the play head so you can see your reactions against the aggregate audience. I never saw it go over about 1/3rd approval and you have to wonder how much feedback was from people just trying out the functionality to see what happens. Once you are done watching the videos you can submit your own Manalogues for consideration and the best ones will eventually be performed. I keep wanting these sites to be able to return to their former glory but with each new version they only seem to be able to point out how uncomfortable the subject can become when the humor disappears.

Labels: Consumer generated content, Design and user experience, Site review

Back in April of this year I wrote about the upcoming PS3 exclusive video game called Little Big Planet that was being created by a small development shop called Media Molecule. I found the game fascinating because it took the concept of user generated content and brought it to people of all ages through the core gameplay of being able to create your own characters and levels in the game. To my surprise and delight I came home from work today to an email inviting me to take part in the beta testing program for the game that won't be available to the public until October 21st. I entered the invite code and thanks to FIOS a few minutes later I had the game fired up and from the intro sequence on I loved it. It visual style looks like you are playing a Pixar movie and it's simple to controls give way to a deep interface that let's you create about anything you can think to create. I have just scratched the surface on creating objects and levels in the world and will write a longer entry once I have been able to spend more quality time with the game.

Labels: Digital culture, Unique interface design, Viral

A new site called SideTaker.com may be the greatest marriage and couples aide ever invented. The concept is that if you are fighting with your significant other and can't decide who is right and who's wrong then you can air it out anonymously while letting people of the world give you advice and make the decision on who should apologize. This is based on their feeling that far too many divorces, break ups, and separations happen over non-critical disputes. In a fight, each person has their side and are usually backed by their friends (on either side) but when you can create a jury of anonymous peers to decide who is right or wrong in an argument, then the bias is gone. The site has to have both sides of the story before it goes live and it is only text with no photos or video allowed. You can read both sides, vote for the side you believe, leave comments or advice and see similar disputes. It is an interesting attempt to solve a horrible trend and it would be interesting to see some numbers on if it is working.

Labels: Consumer generated content, Digital culture

A friend of mine sent me a link to a video for a Nintendo Wii game called on YouTube this morning. I find the Wii interesting but I spend my free time on my PS3 but I clicked on it anyway since he usually send me cool stuff. The page was called "Wario Land: Shake It – Amazing footage!" and I started to watch the video and after about 10-15 seconds I just didn't know why he sent it to me. It was just footage of the main character running through the game matched with an illustration of how you had to move and shake the Wii-mote. After that 15 seconds or so the ad started to unfold as with each shake of the illustrated Wii-mote the page started to shake and the elements started to come apart. It strongly reminded me of the HEMA ad I wrote about a in December of last year which did something similar but their version was cooler and more complicated. This one is fun and it is nice to see YouTube be willing to do something different with one of their channels.

Labels: Design and user experience, Digital culture, Unique interface design, Viral